The NY Giants go up against the Dallas Cowboys for Week 5 in Arlington, Texas. As always, there are huge fantasy football implications in this game. Here, we break down who to start and who to sit.
The 0-4 NY Giants take on the 1-3 Dallas Cowboys in a pivotal NFC East divisional matchup. Both teams are looking to end losing streaks and stay alive in the NFL’s worst division. Right now, the NFC East is fully up for grabs and the Cowboys were seen as the division’s preseason favorite and will be desperate for a win at home.
The Giants are coming off their fourth consecutive loss, losing 17-9 to the LA Rams after a late Daniel Jones game-ending interception. The offense has struggled mightily as they currently average a league low 11.8 points per game. The team is enduring through their first two-game stretch with no touchdowns since 1998.
The Cowboys are amid a two-game losing streak of their own after losing back-to-back shutouts against the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns. The Boys’ offense has been on fire while the defense hasn’t live up to their part, letting up a league worst 36.5 points per game and the league’s third-most yards allowed with 1,722.
This game will feature a battle of two weaknesses when the NY Giants have the ball against the Dallas defense. Both units have struggled this year and it will be intriguing to see if Jones can get the offense going against a floundering Dallas defense. For Dallas, they have beaten Big Blue every game since 2016 and they can look at this game as a great opportunity for a bounce back game and get their season back on track.
Vegas likes Dallas for this game, making the NY Giants 9.5 point underdogs. The Giants haven’t proven they can win a game yet this season, and with their shoddy performances it is hard to expect anything but the same this week.
Let’s take a peak at the fantasy matchups for this week and who to put in your starting lineup and who should be on the bench.
Start ’em: Evan Engram
Despite his inconsistent play, Evan Engram has the potential to have a big game vs Dallas this week. Engram saw 10 targets in Week 3 and that number should look similar this week.
The Cowboys defense has struggled with teams’ tight ends this year. According to CBS Sports, Dallas has allowed touchdowns to tight ends the last three straight weeks along with letting up 65 or more yards from the position group each week. The Browns succeeded with two tight ends on Sunday, this is a recipe the Giants should follow to be more efficient offensively this week.
Expect NY to run a healthy amount of “12” and “13” personnel Sunday to shore up the edges and help against the Cowboys pass rushers. Engram will need to do better with his run-blocking, but that is not how the Giants should look to often implement him.
Engram should be able to get good looks in the flats and between the hashes in passing situations out of “12”, “13”, and “11” personnel. The Giants have to find a way to get the ball in Evan’s hands as he one of the offense’s most dynamic weapons. Engram has found particular success against Dallas in his career, scoring three touchdowns and racking in 410 yards in six games
Evan Engram needs to have a big day if the NY Giants want to keep drives alive for four quarters. Having a legit threat at tight end is one of the most useful and dangerous advantages an NFL offense can have. It is time Engram puts all his abilities together for an impactful game.
Stat Prediction: 6 catches, 65 yards, 1 touchdown.
Sit ’em: Golden Tate
Golden Tate has not been the $37 million dollar receiver that Dave Gettleman envisioned during the 2019 free agency window. Tate’s NY start got off to a bad start before it even began as Tate picked up a 4-game suspension for PED use for him and his wife’s fertility purposes.
However, Golden’s 2020 season has gotten off to another disappointing start. Tate missed Big Blue’s Week 1 game against Pittsburgh but returned Week 2 to play the next three weeks. After the Week 4 game to the Rams was over, Tate took his own personal matters out onto the field by fighting Jalen Ramsey and sparking a brawl between both teams.
This selfish and unprofessional behavior shouldn’t be tolerated in the NY Giants’ organization as the team looks to make a culture change and start winning games.
Since his return, he has made minimal impact for the offense despite major contributions needed with Sterling Shepard sidelined with a turf toe injury. Not getting 50 yards or any touchdowns in three games won’t cut it for a receiver of Golden Tate’s caliber. He needs to find a way to free himself loose from opposing cornerbacks and create space for Daniel Jones to give him a shot to reel in some catches.
Tate will be going up against a feisty cornerback group that will test the 11-year veteran all game. Tate isn’t counted on to go deep down the field so he will likely feature in the usual short to intermediate range passing game. Expect the Giants to try to attack the Cowboys’ defense with quick concepts and well-timed routes.
Unfortunately, the NY Giants’ offense has struggled all year with finding a groove on offense or sustaining any rhythm. The team’s pass protection underwhelmed in LA last week as they let up five sacks.
With the team’s run game nonexistent, and no proven commodities at receiver behind Tate and Darius Slayton, Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan can keep their focus on the Giants top two receivers and not have to worry about anything coming over the top of the Cowboys’ defense.
Expect Tate to get around 5-7 targets his way Sunday. Hopefully, he can turn this into a productive outing to the tune of 50+ yards but Golden will need the O-line to give his QB time up front to throw and for Tate to get open downfield.
At this point, Tate is at best a WR2 or Flex play this week. He seems like a risky start and is best suited on your team’s bench for this week.
Stat Prediction: 5 catches, 48 yards, 0 TD
Start ’em: Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott has been on an historic run to start this season. Prescott has broken the NFL’s all-time record for most yards in the season’s first four games with 1,690 yards. He also is the first player with three consecutive games with over 450 yards passing, despite losing in his last two efforts.
Dak’s impressive form will look to continue this Sunday against an inconsistent, unassuming NY Giants defense. Big Blue is arguably coming off its best defensive performance of the season, keeping LA to only 17 points. That won’t matter this week.
Prescott has a history of gashing the Giants’ defense with throw after throw and he’s a constant threat with his legs. Dak put up a gaudy 662 yards with seven touchdowns to one interception in two games against the Giants’ defense last season. In 2018, he lit up NY’s defense with four touchdowns, a second-half comeback, and a ridiculous game-winning touchdown on 4th down on Dallas’ last drive.
The NY Giants’ defense has struggled to limit the opposing quarterback’s impact in games from start to finish all season. The front seven has failed to apply a consistent pass rush yet again, while the secondary has had poor play all season.
The same struggles have continued for Patrick Graham and his unit. The D hasn’t proven it can get off the field on 3rd downs, the linebackers’ coverage abilities needs improvement, and the secondary must find a steady group to go with and hope for better coverage from the team’s young cornerbacks.
Expect Dak Prescott and his group of weapons to have a big day against the Giants’ defense as they continue to try learn and mesh on the fly. Dak has a variety of weapons to choose from with Pro Bowlers Zeke Elliot and Amari Cooper along with Dalton Schultz and excellent secondary options in Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb.
Pat Graham will surely lean on Jason Garrett’s first-hand knowledge on how to try and stop Dak Prescott this week. While it seems like a juicy headline, the NY Giants’ defense can’t be proven and Dak is a must-start in all lineups as he continues at an outstanding pace.
Prescott is a clear-cut QB1 with elite, high-end potential every week and that should continue this week against an inconsistent NY defense.